ROCKFORD — A jury will decide whether Winnebago County Board Chairman Scott Christiansen's order not to "name names" during public comment at County Board meetings infringed on a resident's free speech rights.

Christiansen and former County Board member Pearl Hawks took the stand Monday to testify before a seven-member jury in a federal freedom of speech trial. Mike Castronovo filed the suit in February 2011 that claimed his rights were violated when he wasn't allowed to speak at two committee meetings and board meetings in 2009. Hawks, the former chairwoman of the Public Works Committee, is accused of denying Castronovo the right to speak at two committee meetings.

The jury's decision will clarify First Amendment rights and could provide residents with a better, more responsive government, Castronovo's attorney Glenn Reynolds of Madison, Wis., said in his opening statement. Castronovo also seeks financial compensation for his rights being denied but the amount was not specified Monday.

Attorneys for Winnebago County, setting the stage for their defense in opening statements, said Castronovo was asked to abide by specific rules established for public comment at County Board meetings, but he was never denied the right to speak. In fact, Castronovo spoke at eight of 24 board meetings in 2009, said Bill Emmert, assistant deputy state's attorney.

"He was not shut out of meetings. He spoke at one-third of them," Emmert said.

Christiansen acknowledged that he did prohibit Castronovo from "naming names" during public comment. He made that decision after he felt Castronovo was "disrespectfully challenging the integrity of county staff" during his comments at a board meeting in June 2009 and "deliberately trying to embarrass" County Engineer Joe Vanderwerff, Christiansen said.

"I let him speak as long as certain criteria were met and personal attacks aren't part of that," Christiansen said from the witness stand.

Hawks said Monday that she thought Castronovo was allowed to speak at committee meetings in May 2009, but wasn't called on each time he raised his hand. She said she couldn't recall all the details of the meeting that happened more than four years ago. Castronovo, who was called to the stand at the end of the day Monday, testified that he was never allowed to speak.

Castronovo had approached the board to argue in favor of better access to his home business on Harrison Avenue near Perryville Road. In 2008, the county began roadwork on Harrison and removed a median that divides four lanes of east and west traffic. The county planned to reconstruct that median, but Castronovo wanted it to stay removed to provide easier access to his home business. He said the median was a safety issue because it forced customers and himself to make U-turns at either the Harrison and Perryville intersection or an intersection at Swanson Parkway. Others, he said, might attempt to turn east onto Harrison at night when they can't clearly see the median. He feared that would leave them pinned by the median and possibly broadsided by oncoming westbound traffic.

Page 2 of 2 - Castronovo is due back on the stand today. The trial is expected to conclude either today or Wednesday.